Shloka 9

Śiśupāla-vākya: Bhīṣma-nindā and the ‘Haṃsa’ Exemplum (शिशुपालवाक्यम् — भीष्मनिन्दा, हंसदृष्टान्तः)

Devanagari script

न हि केवलमस्माकमयमर्च्यतमो<च्युत: । त्रयाणामपि लोकानामर्चनीयो महाभुज:,महाबाहु श्रीकृष्ण केवल हमारे लिये ही परम पूजनीय हों, ऐसी बात नहीं है, ये तो तीनों लोकोंके पूजनीय हैं

Transliteration

na hi kevalam asmākam ayam arcyatamo 'cyutaḥ | trayāṇām api lokānām arcanīyo mahābhujaḥ ||

Translation

భీష్ముడు అన్నాడు—అచ్యుతుడైన శ్రీకృష్ణుడు కేవలం మా కొరకు మాత్రమే పరమపూజ్యుడు కాదు; మహాబాహువైన ఆయన మూడు లోకాలకూ పూజనీయుడు.

Word by Word

नnot

हिindeed/for

केवलम्only/merely

अस्माकम्of us/our

अयम्this (one)

अर्च्यतमःmost worthy of worship

अच्युतःAcyuta (Krishna)

त्रयाणाम्of the three

अपिalso/even

लोकानाम्of the worlds

अर्चनीयःworthy to be worshipped

महाभुजःmighty-armed

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

Acyuta (Śrī Kṛṣṇa)

three worlds (trailokya)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhīṣma teaches that genuine worthiness of honor is universal: Kṛṣṇa is not revered merely due to personal or partisan ties, but because his excellence makes him venerable to all the three worlds. Ethical recognition should rise above faction and self-interest.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Sabha setting, Bhīṣma speaks in praise of Kṛṣṇa, asserting his supreme venerability. The statement functions as an authoritative endorsement from an elder statesman, framing Kṛṣṇa’s status as universally acknowledged rather than locally or politically constructed.